The very popular Hotfile, a file sharing and swapping website lost to Hollywood after a massive copyright infringement lawsuit. The website was shut down hours after tthe orders from MPAA became clear. In case you're wondering what MPAA stands for, its Motion Picture Association Of America meaning Hollywood. Read on to know more.

Hotfile, a prominent cyber locker that allows people to swap digital files, has agreed to shut down its operations and to pay $80 million as part of a settlement with the Motion Picture Association of America (MPAA). Hotfile’s file-sharing service went offline just hours after the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Florida ordered the website to shut down unless it implemented copyright-filtering technologies to prevent piracy. The court also awarded MPAA $80 million in damages.The settlement amounts to a victory for Hollywood interests, which argue that cyber lockers are a vehicle for piracy. Opponents disagree, pointing out there is nothing inherently illegal about an online digital storage locker.

MPAA sued Hotfile in February 2011. Initially Hotfile fought the copyright-infringement charges, claiming protection under the Digital Millennium Copyright Act, but the court rejected that defense.In a separate case, the MPAA in October reached a settlement to shut down isoHunt, one of the Internet’s largest torrent-directory sites. Ordinarily, companies that provide hosting or platform services are immune from being held liable for the actions of their users, provided they follow certain steps. In this case, the judge ruled Hotfile and its owner, Anton Titov, could not benefit from the safe harbor shield because they had actively encouraged infringement. So, what have we learned from all this? Hotfile has been shut down. So what. Thousand other file sharing website sprout everyday.

Author : Nadeem Ansari

Designation:Senior EditorBio:A gadget freak who can't make a day without his tiny little toys and is constantly trying to keep himself up to date with the latest events in tech history. Loves to read and write articles.